*People suffer due to lack of coordination between IAF, AAI
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 21: The much-needed up-gradation of strategically important Leh airport, one of the world’s highest airfields, has remained victim of lack of coordination between all the concerned agencies and despite lapse of several years nobody is in a position to specify time-frame for start of work on this Rs 200 crore worth project.
Due to non-seriousness on the part of all the stakeholders towards this ambitious project, passengers handling capacity has remained grossly inadequate despite the fact that air travel is the only mode of transport to the region during winter months when Leh remains cut-off from rest of the world due to closure of the highway.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the plan about expansion and up-gradation of Leh airport, located at 10,683 feet above the sea level and is considered as one of the world’s highest airfields, was mooted over four years back as the existing passengers handling capacity is grossly inadequate.
It was officially stated at that time that with the expansion/up-gradation project which involves construction of new terminal building and new parking bays at the airport the peak hour passenger capacity will go up to 800 from the current capacity of 250 passengers.
Accordingly, the exercise was started to get the required chunk of land from Indian Air Force (IAF) and hand it over to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) so as to pave the way for start of work on the much-needed project. It is pertinent to mention here that the land identified for the expansion/up-gradation project belongs to the State Government but it is currently under the physical possession of Indian Air Force (IAF) and unless the same is handed over to AAI the work cannot be commenced.
After hectic parleys, the IAF in principle agreed to hand over 11.8 acres of land to AAI for construction of new terminal building after getting No Objection Certificate from the State Government, which is the actual owner of the airport land. However, the IAF made it clear that in lieu of 11.8 acres of land the Government shall have to provide alternate land for shifting the utilities before vacating the identified area.
“During the past nearly one and half year no further development has taken place as district administration is of the stand that it will give identified alternate land to the IAF only after the latter hands over 11.8 acres of land to AAI but IAF wants alternate land first so as to shift the utilities on existing land”, sources said.
“Due to this, the fate of the project for the strategically important Leh airport is hanging in balance despite lapse of over four years”, sources said, adding “lack of coordination between the district administration, AAI and IAF is persisting despite the fact that Ministry of Defence has already conveyed work permission”.
It is worthwhile to mention here that Leh airport belongs to the IAF, which comes under Ministry of Defence while as AAI maintains a portion of it for civil operations.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Leh Prasanna Ramaswamy G confirmed that handing-taking over of 11.8 acres of land was still pending between IAF and AAI because of certain issues. He claimed that district administration was trying its level best to resolve the issues so that work is started on already delayed project of immense importance.
An officer of Airport Authority of India, when contacted, said, “pre-construction activities like consultations, soil testing and preparation of site plan are in full swing but work will commence only when the land is formally handed over to us”. He, however, failed to specify any time-frame for start of work on the project.
He informed that project includes construction of new terminal building to cater peak-hour passenger rush and creation of new parking bays. “With the up-gradation of infrastructure we will be able to cater around 600 passengers at a time while the bay capacity will increase from existing two to five”, the officer added.
The officer, however, said that 300 square feet area is being added to the existing terminal building as an interim arrangement to ease the congestion. “The work is on full swing and will be completed by August”, he added.
Due to inordinate delay in start of work on the project, the passenger handling capacity has remained grossly inadequate and people have been suffering a lot as air travel is the only mode of transport to the region during winter months when Leh remains cut-off from rest of the world due to closure of the highway.
“It is a matter of serious concern that while IAF, AAI and district administration have failed to resolve all the issues concerning the project the State Government is watching the situation as mute spectator instead of intervening and resolving the matter so as to pave the way for start of much-delayed work”, sources regretted.
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